0:00:00.186,0:00:05.266 (Child) Do one side and then the[br]spider crawled up the house and then... 0:00:05.266,0:00:08.706 (Heather) Playful learning to me is[br]seeing the joy on the children's face 0:00:08.706,0:00:10.500 when they're learning something new. 0:00:10.776,0:00:15.816 So seeing them smile, seeing them[br]be able to use it in context 0:00:15.816,0:00:22.100 when they're playing, because they've[br]learned it through play from us. 0:00:22.346,0:00:26.116 When I see them giggling and laughing,[br]but still doing what I've asked them 0:00:26.116,0:00:27.606 to do, I say, "Yeah, that's it. 0:00:27.606,0:00:28.620 That's great." 0:00:36.316,0:00:39.300 Storyland is oral storytelling. 0:00:40.096,0:00:46.356 My students are learning the basics[br]of writing, but they're learning it orally 0:00:46.796,0:00:49.536 which is where they need[br]to learn it in kindergarten. 0:00:49.686,0:00:52.856 They need to learn the oral part of it[br]because they can move 0:00:52.856,0:00:55.000 into the written part as they get older. 0:00:55.000,0:00:58.500 Once upon a time, tell me[br]about your beautiful house here. 0:00:58.500,0:01:00.200 (Child) One day, a spider... 0:01:01.000,0:01:05.200 (Heather) I cover each table with[br]a tablecloth and it becomes that land. 0:01:05.200,0:01:10.596 So, you know, the land of fall,[br]the land of water, the land of snow, 0:01:10.596,0:01:12.246 so all of those different lands. 0:01:12.626,0:01:15.800 I change them up so that[br]they're not always the same. 0:01:16.396,0:01:18.800 What we play with is nature-based. 0:01:19.200,0:01:24.766 I had acorns, I have pine cones,[br]I have shells, I have pieces of wood. 0:01:25.236,0:01:29.186 I do have animals out[br]so that they can add those in. 0:01:31.000,0:01:34.951 I put out the baskets[br]with all the nature items in it, 0:01:35.646,0:01:37.406 and then they come in very quietly 0:01:37.406,0:01:40.426 and they gather the items[br]that they want to play with, 0:01:40.426,0:01:42.476 and they bring it to their land of choice. 0:01:50.056,0:01:54.106 And then they create[br]whatever they're making, 0:01:54.106,0:01:56.500 the house, the trees, whatever it is. 0:01:56.810,0:01:59.656 And they start telling their story,[br]you know, to themselves, 0:01:59.656,0:02:01.026 or sometimes with a partner. 0:02:01.026,0:02:03.106 (Child) I think this is actually real. 0:02:03.106,0:02:04.876 This is real, so we tuck down... 0:02:04.876,0:02:06.405 (Heather) And then I circulate 0:02:06.405,0:02:08.865 and I walked around[br]and I make sure that I touch in 0:02:08.865,0:02:10.895 with every child at least once. 0:02:10.895,0:02:14.526 (Child) And then this ran away[br]and then they jump back up there... 0:02:14.526,0:02:17.856 (Heather) So then, as they play Storyland,[br]I'll go around and I'll say: 0:02:17.856,0:02:19.826 "Okay, what's the setting of your story?" 0:02:19.826,0:02:22.376 and then they orally tell[br]me what the setting is. 0:02:22.376,0:02:25.636 (Child) And this is the water[br]where he swims. 0:02:26.136,0:02:28.106 (Heather) If we're working on characters, 0:02:28.106,0:02:30.756 I'll say: "Okay,[br]who are the characters in your story?" 0:02:30.756,0:02:34.800 (Child) It was birds flying[br]and some butterflies. 0:02:34.900,0:02:38.400 (Heather) It was birds flying[br]and then their friends were butterflies? 0:02:40.446,0:02:44.376 Right now, I'm trying to work on[br]more of a beginning, middle and end. 0:02:53.156,0:02:57.556 And so when they get to grade one,[br]if they can orally tell the story, 0:02:57.556,0:03:00.786 they can hopefully start to put[br]something down on paper. 0:03:01.736,0:03:03.578 It's magical to them and they love it, 0:03:03.578,0:03:06.526 so that's a good way[br]for them to start their writing. 0:03:06.526,0:03:10.926 (Child) I make this goat never get[br]his chocolate peanut butter-- 0:03:10.926,0:03:13.506 (Heather) Oh, look, and I think[br]someone's at the door. 0:03:13.506,0:03:15.406 (Child) That's a bear. 0:03:15.466,0:03:18.000 (Child) Hello. Who's there?